Extending Process Improvement into a New Organizational Unit

The importance of software process improvement (SPI) is gaining increasing acknowledgement in software companies. Many companies have started SPI and try to extend it in all the functional units. However, some units may have problems initiating SPI. In this paper an initial level requirements and design practice assessment is presented. The assessment was conducted with a method that was specifically developed to pay attention to the organizational readiness for SPI and trying to obtain organizational support for it. The study summarizes the findings that establish a solid understanding of the current practices in the company, and identify concrete improvement areas. Even if the assessment method needs to be customized for each company, the case study suggests that it can help to establish a positive attitude towards SPI.